The definitive Zappa biography hasn't been written yet, and I think it'll be tough job to get at the material while Gail is still holding the fort and making notes for her 'MEMOIR' --

I read the first edition of David Walley's book 30 years ago, before I even knew any English, and found it very interesting

Philip Dick mentions Zappa in that late Seventies trilogy, as an obscure but interesting musical figure. Dick was looking for doors of perception, or something like that, and it seems he suspected that Zappa had found one.

_________________We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers. Frank Zappa, 1971

I don't know... I still find Miles' book fairly entertaining for what it is. It's definitely an interesting companion piece to The Real FZ Book, given how little Frank actually writes about his personal life. Miles exposes some dirt without stooping to personal attacks like Walley does in his book. Having said that, there are a few spots where Miles does do a little too much editorializing for my comfort.

I'm tempted to read The Dangerous Kitchen and Electric Don Quixote, but I kind feel like the last thing my book shelf needs is yet another Zappa book.

Well, there's your problem. Miles wanted to expose some dirt, but there isn't very much, so he jumps on the N Lennon bandwagon and uses many dubious sources. I also recall quite a few "spicy" details that had no source mentioned. Miles is lying and you believe him because you want to. It's what many reviewers of the book did as well. It's like reading People's Magazine. Miles = trash can food.

Well, there's your problem. Miles wanted to expose some dirt, but there isn't very much, so he jumps on the N Lennon bandwagon and uses many dubious sources. I also recall quite a few "spicy" details that had no source mentioned. Miles is lying and you believe him because you want to. It's what many reviewers of the book did as well. It's like reading People's Magazine. Miles = trash can food.

BTW, if someone hasn't mentioned it here, go to the Book Depository for low priced books and free postage world wide. They have a good selection of books about FZ.

Also, I haven't read a book yet where I enjoyed it unreservedly or agreed with everything said in it, The Real Frank Zappa Book included. I think Miles' book is a good read even though there's a small percentage of dubiousness in it.

_________________The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

Erm. Can you remind us why. I'm sure he is, but can't remember the reason.

He pretends to be grounded in rock music criticism but elsewhere says his forte is classical and jazz, he's very haughty, condescending and above-it-all. He reeks of speech-police political correctness. From the foreword of the book you'd wonder why he would bother to write about Zappa having concluded long ago that Zappa was a thing that "bright adolescents" would find entertaining for a few years until they inevitably matured and outgrew their brief musical romance with him. It seems he believed that Zappa's "dirty-joke" lyrics and the crime of insensitivity to women was somewhat excusable for an early adolescent but a thing one just naturally outgrew and progressed into...what? Kostelanetz doesn't feel there's any need to say.

Hah! I wish I could dig way far back into this forum's archives and unearth the insane fantasy I came up with for Kostelanetz involving two major salvos of "ber-her-na-herna-herna-herna-her-herd" shit unleashed upon him!David Kostelanetz is a cunt! But he's Da Boss and as we all know, http://www2.b3ta.com/top-10-cutest-kittens/

Erm. Can you remind us why. I'm sure he is, but can't remember the reason.

He pretends to be grounded in rock music criticism but elsewhere says his forte is classical and jazz, he's very haughty, condescending and above-it-all. He reeks of speech-police political correctness. From the foreword of the book you'd wonder why he would bother to write about Zappa having concluded long ago that Zappa was a thing that "bright adolescents" would find entertaining for a few years until they inevitably matured and outgrew their brief musical romance with him. It seems he believed that Zappa's "dirty-joke" lyrics and the crime of insensitivity to women was somewhat excusable for an early adolescent but a thing one just naturally outgrew and progressed into...what? Kostelanetz doesn't feel there's any need to say.

Hah! I wish I could dig way far back into this forum's archives and unearth the insane fantasy I came up with for Kostelanetz involving two major salvos of "ber-her-na-herna-herna-herna-her-herd" shit unleashed upon him!David Kostelanetz is a cunt! But he's Da Boss and as we all know, http://www2.b3ta.com/top-10-cutest-kittens/

I usually go between the Miles bio, and Electric Don Quixote...a few others that I can't seem to remember off the top of my head as far as getting any REAL information don't really stick out to me....Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play was IMHO pure trash!

I looked on my shelf...I also have MOTHER! The Frank Zappa Story by Michael Gray...can't say I remember it?!?!And Necessity is....which was about the early Mothers.

Neither really jumps at me...

The Real FZ book, was mostly entertaining!

(then there's the Nigey Lennon book which was a waste of time, money, and brain cells)

electric don quijote is good but full of stupid trivial mistakes typical of an english person who dosent know american culture and history (GHWBush saying "see my lips", echo park is NOT in hollywood, give me a break, do yr f'in research! Also, mick DAGGER!?!! inexcusable- didnt he have an editor?).read it anyway.

Well spotted Mr. Slime I received the softcover edition as a gift from an ex girlfriend who was trying to get back into my good books, amongst other things. Being a gentleman and all around nice guy, I didn't let on that I already owned a copy...

Disagree. Of course it is embarrasing to mess up the death date, but basically the facts are reported pretty properly. My problems with Miles start when he infers from the pure facts. No problem with the critical tone against FZ, but he has some tendency to over-interpretation and noticable limitations in the understanding of FZs art (but who hasn't?). All in all it is ok as biography but should be supported by at least one or two alternatives. If u have two or three parallel reads, the mistakes and wrong conclusions might counterbalance each others.

just plain doug wrote:

The F.B.I. have a pretty good biography on Frank.

Sureley the most comprehensive summary of pure facts of the live of FZ. But where can i get it?

Don't know the other more recent books, but the real FZ book is probably still the best if u want to get some clues to find out what it is all about. For example the question: did FZ prefer synclavier or real musicians? Only one person in history was able to answer this properly.

thanx guys new here this thread really helped me decide which bio to head to first ... i read every post and could not escape the repeated mention of Barry Miles' opus

so many seem to think his level of iconoclasm was over the top .... so i headed there first since it intrigued me

read 3/4 so far and he seems to have a good yin-yang black and white light and shadow side 360 degree reading of the most famous arab sicilian in american history

definitely no pandering there ..... it seems Zappa might have been a touch autistic or maybe somewhere on the spectrum ...social gaucheness and total misunderstanding of the EMOTIONAL needs of others .... Moon had to write to him when 13 to say she wanted to talk to him

typical autism spectrum trait

also his undeniable genius and fixation on music ability to blot out the rest of the world when engaged in composing etc

the shared understandin with Varese and Boulez that emotion did not belong in music or that music could not express it also points in that direction

autism is not a fault ;;; it is an alternative form of wiring ... many many greats in human history have and do exhibit those traits

Anyway this really strikes me as the elephant in the room when looking at the life of FZ

=====

Going to read the autobiography next then Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa byPauline Butcher ( also found America the Beautiful: A Novel / Moon Unit Zappa. and i have to read this too it is a novel and has extremely good reviews ... will tell me nowt about FZ directly but will tell me how creative and clever his daughter no doubt is too ...... endless topic FZ ... I did not spend much time listening to him in the seventies but now he seems more important somehow more real thank you Frank for all you av left behind

thanx guys new here this thread really helped me decide which bio to head to first ... i read every post and could not escape the repeated mention of Barry Miles' opus

so many seem to think his level of iconoclasm was over the top .... so i headed there first since it intrigued me

read 3/4 so far and he seems to have a good yin-yang black and white light and shadow side 360 degree reading of the most famous arab sicilian in american history

definitely no pandering there ..... it seems Zappa might have been a touch autistic or maybe somewhere on the spectrum ...social gaucheness and total misunderstanding of the EMOTIONAL needs of others .... Moon had to write to him when 13 to say she wanted to talk to him

typical autism spectrum trait

also his undeniable genius and fixation on music ability to blot out the rest of the world when engaged in composing etc

the shared understandin with Varese and Boulez that emotion did not belong in music or that music could not express it also points in that direction

autism is not a fault ;;; it is an alternative form of wiring ... many many greats in human history have and do exhibit those traits

Anyway this really strikes me as the elephant in the room when looking at the life of FZ

=====

Going to read the autobiography next then Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa byPauline Butcher ( also found America the Beautiful: A Novel / Moon Unit Zappa. and i have to read this too it is a novel and has extremely good reviews ... will tell me nowt about FZ directly but will tell me how creative and clever his daughter no doubt is too ...... endless topic FZ ... I did not spend much time listening to him in the seventies but now he seems more important somehow more real thank you Frank for all you av left behind

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